Saturday, June 7, 2008

Let’s take a closer look at this cover. All of the people at the table seem to be less concerned with the fact that their dinner guest is a Swamp Thing knock-off and more horrified that he is using the wrong silverware!

“My God, Merrick, I don’t care about that ‘slime monster’ nonsense...He’s grabbed the shrimp fork for the entree! Throw him out!”

A point to ponder....If he eats the asparagus, does that make him a cannibal?

Friday, May 30, 2008

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Harvey Korman, the tall, versatile comedian who won four Emmys for his outrageously funny contributions to "The Carol Burnett Show" and on the big screen in "Blazing Saddles," died Thursday. He was 81.

Korman died at UCLA Medical Center after suffering complications from the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm four months ago, his family said in a statement released by the hospital.

His daughter, Kate Korman, said in the statement that it was a "miracle" that her father had survived the aneurysm at all, and that he had several major operations.

"Tragically, after such a hard fought battle he passed away," she said.

A natural second banana, Korman gained attention on "The Danny Kaye Show," appearing in skits with the star. He joined the show in its second season in 1964 and continued until it was canceled in 1967. That same year he became a cast member in the first season of "The Carol Burnett Show."

Burnett and Korman developed into the perfect pair with their burlesques of classic movies such as "Gone With the Wind" and soap operas like "As the World Turns" (their version was called "As the Stomach Turns").

Another recurring skit featured them as "Ed and Eunice," a staid married couple who were constantly at odds with the wife's mother (a young Vickie Lawrence in a gray wig). In "Old Folks at Home," they were a combative married couple bedeviled by Lawrence as Burnett's troublesome young sister.

Burnett was devastated by the news, said her assistant, Angie Horejsi.

"She loved Harvey very much," Horejsi said. She said Burnett had not yet made a statement.

Korman revealed the secret to the long-running show's success in a 2005 interview.

"We were an ensemble, and Carol had the most incredible attitude. I've never worked with a star of that magnitude who was willing to give so much away."

After 10 successful seasons, he left in 1977 for his own series. Dick Van Dyke took his place, but the chemistry was lacking and the Burnett show was canceled two years later. "The Harvey Korman Show" also failed, as did other series starring the actor.

"It takes a certain type of person to be a television star," he said in that 2005 interview. "I didn't have whatever that is. I come across as kind of snobbish and maybe a little too bright. ... Give me something bizarre to play or put me in a dress and I'm fine."

His most memorable film role was as the outlandish Hedley Lamarr (who was endlessly exasperated when people called him Hedy) in Mel Brooks' 1974 Western satire, "Blazing Saddles."

He also appeared in the Brooks comedies "High Anxiety," "The History of the World Part I" and "Dracula: Dead and Loving It," as well as two "Pink Panther" moves, "Trail of the Pink Panther" in 1982 and "Curse of the Pink Panther" in 1983.

Korman's other films included "Gypsy," "Huckleberry Finn" (as the King), "Herbie Goes Bananas" and "Bud and Lou" (as legendary straightman Bud Abbott to Buddy Hackett's Lou Costello). He also provided the voice of Dictabird in the 1994 live-action feature "The Flintstones."

In television, Korman guest-starred in dozens of series including "The Donna Reed Show," "Dr. Kildare," "Perry Mason," "The Wild Wild West," "The Muppet Show," "The Love Boat," "The Roseanne Show" and "Burke's Law."

In their '70s, he and Tim Conway, one of his Burnett show co-stars, toured the country with their show "Tim Conway and Harvey Korman: Together Again." They did 120 shows a year, sometimes as many as six or eight in a weekend.

Harvey Herschel Korman was born Feb. 15, 1927, in Chicago. He left college for service in the U.S. Navy, resuming his studies afterward at the Goodman School of Drama at the Chicago Art Institute. After four years, he decided to try New York.

"For the next 13 years I tried to get on Broadway, on off-Broadway, under or beside Broadway," he told a reporter in 1971.

He had no luck and had to support himself as a restaurant cashier. Finally, in desperation, he and a friend formed a nightclub comedy act.

"We were fired our first night in a club, between the first and second shows," he recalled.

After returning to Chicago, Korman decided to try Hollywood, reasoning that "at least I'd feel warm and comfortable while I failed."

For three years he sold cars and worked as a doorman at a movie theater. Then he landed the job with Kaye.

In 1960 Korman married Donna Elhart and they had two children, Maria and Christopher. They divorced in 1977. Two more children, Katherine and Laura, were born of his 1982 marriage to Deborah Fritz.

In addition to his daughter Kate, he is survived by his wife and the three other children.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Here we see another example of Superman/Clark Kent being a super-masochist. Lois Lane has started chasing after him, but there’s no way in hell that he’ll let any girl make him feel comfortable! She might stop those nights out with Batman and Robin!! Personally, I love the comment “I refuse to be trapped into a cozy evening here!”

By the way, wouldn’t x-ray vision just see through the ham steaks? You would think that good ol’ heat vision would be the trick for burning things! As it is, he just x-rayed Lois enough to give her a MAJOR case of cancer in a few years.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Several online sources, including Journalista and Mark Evanier, are reporting that cartoonist Will Elder, one of the founding artists for MAD Magazine, has passed away.

DC Comics sent out a press release earlier today on his passing:

William “Willie” Elder, the successful cartoonist and commercial illustrator whose work helped launch MAD Magazine, died Thursday morning, May 15th, 2008. He was 86.

Born Wolf William Eisenberg in the Bronx, New York, Elder changed his name after returning in World War II. During his time of service, Elder was part of the map-making team that was instrumental in the invasion of Normandy.

When Harvey Kurtzman launched MAD Magazine in 1952, he hired Elder along with Wally Wood, Jim Severin, and Jack Davis to produce content for the first issues.

“Willie Elder was one of the funniest artists to ever work for MAD. He created visual feasts with dozens of background gags layered into every MAD story he illustrated,” says John Ficarra, Editor of MAD Magazine, “He called these gags “chicken fat.” Willie’s “anything goes” art style set the tone for the entire magazine and created a look that endures to this day.”

“Willie’s passing saddens all of us here at MAD,” says Sam Viviano, MAD Magazine Art Director, “Everyone who has attempted to draw a funny picture over the course of the last fifty or sixty years owes an enormous debt to Willie, who taught us all how to do it — and no one has ever done it better than he did.”

In addition to his work on MAD, Elder also co-created Little Annie Fanny. Will Pfeifer has a remembrance up on his site:

…People say Elder was a master mimic — and he was, probably the best the field has ever seen — but even that title is selling him short. He didn’t just duplicate the styles of other artists, he twisted them slightly, revealing the rough sides of those smoooooth house-style pen lines.

And, all mimicking aside, the guy could draw too — draw like a master. His own art style had an inviting, open feel that nevertheless made the most of well-placed shadows and varied line weights. Just check out this panel from MICKEY RODENT!, where Elder’s own style offers a dark, disturbing contrast to the familiar, friendly style of the Disney studio. In fact, that’s the joke!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Monday, May 12, 2008

To give a little background, in this old Supergirl story she is trying to convince a young boy that fairies really exist. (I guess a quick trip to San Francisco was out of the question.) So she dresses up as a fairie princess and ‘grants wishes’ to prove that she’s real. The boy decides that he wants a magic mirror that can make the plainest girl in the class look beautiful.“And when I grow up, I won’t be able to move my face because of nerve damage from plastic surgery, and my body will end at the neck, although I’ll somehow manage to hang myself from the nearest tree! NONONONONONONO!!!!!!!!!!!”

Monday, May 5, 2008

Here we have Lois Lane, who (behind the backs of all her friends) went off and had bionic parts put in DURING FOUR DAYS OFF!!! It takes me longer than that to get over clipping my toenails! Was this covered by her insurance? Why are there no bandages or scars? And look at that arm...she had her entire arm replaced with a robotic replacement! That is a major owie!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

I found this ad for the original Bionic Woman action figure, along with her adventures as she....gets a perm. Of course we need to wonder...why do you need a computer read-out in order to get your hair done? Of course I think this was released at the same time as GI Joe's prostate exam playset.

Monday, April 21, 2008

This ad shows that you don’t have to worry about drugs, handguns, and prostitution. If you protect your kids from teenagers on roller skates listening to disco music by locking them in their rooms, then the big green monsters will come along and kill all of those who don’t agree with you!

Friday, April 18, 2008

Okay, look at this promo art for the upcoming Power Girl ongoing series and tell me if you can.....which is her head and which are her breasts? They are all the same size!!!!!!!! (And just so you understand, for a gay comic fan this is NOT a good thing!)

Monday, March 17, 2008

If you think YOU have relationship problems, imagine this couple! Master Man and Warrior Woman, who are even arguing on whether they are married or not. And how many times have you used “Don’t be a dummkoph” as a term of endearment?

﻿Hmmm...The 30th Century depends on the Legion of Super-Heroes to help them out. But when there’s trouble, they seem to be always running into the past for help. Superboy, Supergirl, and now Jor-El! Heck, even several members of the Legion of Super-Pets were from the 20th Century! I guess that the 30th Century heroes are pretty useless!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

There are so many things wrong with this costume that I don’t know where to begin. First of all, the entire layout is awful. Next, who thought of combining green, blue, red and purple into one costume? No wonder he’s Grim! He’s been on Blackwell’s Worst-Dressed-List for years!!!

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Since it’s my birthday today, I thought I would do a bonus blog today! This first appearances of the two Flashes leads to a major question. They stated more than once in the DC Universe that writers of Earth-1 comic books ‘tuned in’ on Earth-2 to know their names, powers, adventures and so forth. These were then printed as comic books on Earth-1. That’s fine for heroes like the Flash, who has a different name on each earth.

But what about the other heroes? If Earth-1 knew that Jay Garrick is the Flash, then why didn’t they know that Clark Kent is Superman, Bruce Wayne is Batman, and so on?